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OU softball tops Washington in extra innings, extends NCAA-record win streak to 56 games

ryan aber, the oklahoman
·4 min read

An inning after sitting down for a pinch-hitter, Rylie Boone came up big for OU on Friday night against Washington at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Boone delivered an RBI single to left in the eighth to help give the top-ranked Sooners a 4-3 come-from-behind extra-inning victory over the seventh-ranked Huskies.

“They punched back when we punched and we punched back when they punched,” Boone said on the FloSoftball broadcast. “It felt like a World Series game.”

The victory stretched OU’s NCAA-record winning streak to 56 and improved the Sooners to 3-0 this season after starting the season with wins over Utah Valley and Duke on Thursday.

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This one was a nail-biter, though, with the Sooners needing a sixth-inning run to tie it and a strong performance from Kelly Maxwell down the stretch in the circle to keep the game alive.

Boone came through the hit after Cydney Sanders advanced Kasidi Pickering — who was placed on second to start the inning as part of the international tiebreaker rule — to third with a groundout.

Pickering broke for third after Washington pitcher Ruby Meylan didn’t look her back to second before throwing to first to get Sanders.

After Alynah Torres’ flyout to right, Boone delivered what proved to be the game-winner.

But the Sooners still had to get through the bottom half.

After Jadyn Glab advanced to third on a groundout to start the inning, Maxwell got Brooke Nelson to pop up on the infield and Kinsey Fiedler to ground out to third to end the game.

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Maxwell earned the win, throwing 2 2/3 hitless innings.

The Sooners trailed 3-2 after the Huskies scored three in the bottom of the second.

OU placed runners on base in each of the next three innings but couldn’t break through on Lindsay Lopez or Meylan.

But after Meylan threw two scoreless innings of relief, the Sooners finally got something going in the sixth.

Sanders drew a leadoff walk before giving away to pinch runner Maya Bland.

After Bland advanced to second on Alynah Torres’ flyout down the leftfield line, OU coach Patty Gasso went with Furman transfer Riley Ludlam to pinch-hit for Boone.

The move paid off, as Ludlam chopped a single into center as Bland raced around to score to tie up the game.

The Huskies threatened to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning, putting runners on the corner with one out on Sooners reliever Paytn Monticelli and Karlie Keeney.

Gasso turned to her bullpen again, going with Kelly Maxwell to try to escape the jam.

Fiedler hit a comebacker to Maxwell, who quickly fired home as Kinzie Hansen tagged Jing Gardner out at the plate.

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The play was tight, but without replay review in Puerto Vallarta, the call stood.

Maxwell then got Brooklyn Carter to ground out to second to end the threat.

Washington threatened again in the seventh, putting runners on first and second with one out.

But Maxwell battled out of the jam once again, getting a fielder’s choice for the second out before striking out Glab to send the game to extra innings.

The Sooners got off to a quick start on the night, scoring a pair in the top of the first after Alyssa Brito drew a two-out walk to put runners on first and second.

Hansen followed with an RBI single to score Jayda Coleman and Kasidi Pickering quickly followed with an RBI single to left to put OU up 2-0.

But Washington responded in the second, breaking through on Sooners’ starter Nicole May.

On Carter’s two-out single, Hansen was called for obstruction at the plate to score Washington’s first run. The next batter, Jillian Celis, delivered a two-run single to right to put the Sooners in the hole for the first time this season.

OU wraps up the weekend against Long Beach State at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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Longest NCAA softball winning streaks

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball rallies past Washington, extends NCAA-record win streak